Hundreds mourn Rangers fan who fell to his death

BROWNWOOD, Texas
— Relatives, friends and fellow firefighters are among the hundreds of mourners at a public visitation for the 39-year-old Texas Rangers fan who fell to his death trying to catch a ball thrown by his son’s favorite player.

Shannon Stone died Thursday after dropping head-first about 20 feet from the seats at Rangers Ballpark. Josh Hamilton tossed a ball his way and Stone wanted to grab it for his 6-year-old son, Cooper.

Stone spent the last 18 years as a firefighter in Brownwood, a town of about 20,000 residents some 150 miles from the Rangers’ stadium in Arlington.

The public visitation was Sunday night and a funeral service is scheduled for Monday. The tributes already have begun, from flags in the area at half-staff and flowers left at a monument outside the fire department.